Managing who’s on your family’s health insurance

Let’s keep it Real and simplify your health insurance, because managing your health insurance policy doesn’t have to be a headache. The great thing about most health insurance plans is that they allow you to add (or remove) other people from your policy, such as a partner, child or another dependant. So, whether you’re welcoming a new family member or making adjustments to your current cover, here’s a handy guide to help you navigate the process with ease.

What are some reasons people may get health insurance family cover?

If you want to futureproof your family’s finances against health-related issues, including sickness and injuries, and the costs that come with it, then you may want to look into family cover. Family health insurance plans cover yourself, a partner, child or a dependant under a single policy. This means that they can get access to essential health services without needing separate policies. This may be beneficial in the following ways:

• Affordable premiums: Having the one policy to cover your immediate family, can often be cheaper than having an individual policy for everyone in the family.
• Easy management: Having one policy for the entire family simplifies administration. You only need to remember one renewal date and manage one set of paperwork, making it easier to keep track of your health insurance needs.

Keep reading: 6 commonly googled health insurance questions

What are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing health insurance family cover?

• Waiting periods: All policies have waiting periods for specific treatments or conditions. This means you might not be able to claim benefits immediately after purchasing the policy. 
• Premiums: How much you pay can vary based on several factors, including how long you have held private Hospital cover for, the scale of the policy (e.g. single, couple, single-parent or family), the type of cover you purchase (e.g. Hospital or Extras) and the level of cover (e.g. Basic Hospital or Gold Hospital).    

Coverage exclusions: Health insurance policies often come with exclusions and limitations. Certain treatments, medications, or procedures might not be covered. Be sure to read your policy information.

Who is covered in a health insurance policy

With Real Health Insurance, a family health insurance policy usually covers the policyholder, their listed partner, child dependant, non-classified dependant, student dependant or non-student dependant.

• A partner is either married to or in a de-facto relationship with the policyholder. 
• A child dependant is someone who is under 18 years of age and is not married or in a de facto relationship and is the natural, adopted or foster dependant of the policy holder.
• A non-classified dependant is a dependant aged between 18 - 20 (inclusive) who is single (doesn’t have a partner) and is either the policyholder’s child, legally adopted child, foster child or stepchild. 
• Student dependants are dependants between 21 - 30 (inclusive) who are full time students at a school, college or university, and are single (not married or in a de facto relationship).
• Non-student dependants are dependants between 21 - 30 (inclusive) who are not in full-time studies and does not have a partner, can remain on their parent’s cover for an additional fee. This may not be available under all covers, so check your policy to be certain.  

Adding a dependant to your health cover

See below for a list of common dependants and how you can add them to your health insurance cover.

To add someone to your policy, contact us and we can help you.

Please note that by adding a person to your policy, premium increases will occur to cover additional people. Waiting periods may apply to any additional services added that they were not previously covered for.   

Adding a partner to your health insurance

You can add your spouse or your de-facto partner to your policy by providing proof of relationship such as copies of your utility bills or a lease agreement featuring both your names.

Adding a child to your health insurance

You can add your children to health insurance cover. See below for more detailed information.

Adding a newborn to your health insurance

If you are on a single or couple’s policy, you’ll have to switch to family cover or single parent cover within two months of your baby's birth to ensure they don't need to serve any waiting periods. If you’re already on a family cover, you can contact us to add your newborn baby’s name to your policy – your premium won’t change in this instance. 

If you’re serving a waiting period your baby will serve it alongside you and their waiting period will end at the same time as yours, after which you’ll both be able to make health benefit claims.

Add your baby within 24 months of their birth to allow them access to the same health cover entitlements as the longest serving parent on a family policy or single parent family policy. 

Adding adopted or foster children to your health insurance 

Adding adopted children to your cover is a simple process, so long as you have supporting documents confirming the adoption, such as adoption papers or a court order.

Be sure to add your adopted or foster children to your policy within the timeframe for the type of cover you have. For single and couples cover, it is two months from the date your child dependant came into your care legally. For family cover, it is two years from their birth or the date they came into your legal care.

Foster children can be added to your policy from the date that you notify us. You’ll also have to provide supporting documents such as a court order, statutory declaration, confirmation from Centrelink or a letter from the foster organisation confirming that you are their foster parent. 

FAQsFrequently Asked Questions about adding other family members to a health cover

Here are some frequently asked questions about adding other family members to a health cover:

Can you add grandchildren to your health insurance?

You may be able to add your grandchildren to your health insurance family cover if they live with you full-time and you are their primary caregiver. You will have to provide documentation to prove that you are their legal guardian.

Can you add siblings to your health insurance?

Usually, you won’t be able to add your brothers or sisters to your health cover, unless they qualify as your financial dependants. Speak to your insurer to learn what your policy allows.

Can I add my parents to my health insurance?

Generally, you won’t be able to add your mum or dad to your health insurance cover, but you may be able to help them set up their own health insurance policy.

Can I add my mother-in-law to my health insurance?

Usually, you won’t be able to add your mother-in-law or your father-in-law to your family health cover. You can look into setting up a separate health insurance policy for them.

You can add your boyfriend to your health insurance if he is your de facto partner and if he lives with you. You may be asked to share proof of cohabitation. For example, you may have to provide your insurer with copies of your utility bills or a lease agreement featuring both your names.

Can I add my girlfriend to my health insurance?

You can add your girlfriend to your health insurance if she is your de facto partner and if she lives with you. You may be asked by your insurer to share documents to prove that you live together. For example, utility bills or a tenancy agreement that include both your names.  

Can I add my niece or nephew to my health insurance?

You generally can’t add a niece or nephew to your health insurance, unless you are their primary caregiver or have adopted them. You’ll have to provide documents to prove that you are their legal guardian.

Removing a family member from your health insurance

There are many reasons why you may choose to remove someone from your health insurance cover. It could be something as simple as your children growing up and taking out their own policy or it could be a major life update, such as divorce or the death of a partner.

Only the policyholder or the authorised person can add or remove a member from a policy. You may have to provide the contact details of the person being removed from your policy so we can reach out to them and make them aware that they have been removed. This will help the removed person know that their Life Health Cover loading may get impacted if they don’t have cover moving forward and then decide to take out health insurance on their own later. 

Keep reading: 7 reasons to get health insurance

Is your health insurance up to date?

Just like every other aspect of your life, it’s important to take stock once in a while and review your health insurance to see that it is up-to-date and reflects your current family and health situation. Check that your current policy meets all your needs, and if not, then consider whether Real Health Insurance may be suitable for you and your family. Get a quote today.